André Leon Talley on Rachel Maddow's Book Party for Drift

It was so non “moment of geek,” the cool, marvelous party MSNBC threw on Thursday night at Liberty Hall in the basement of New York’s Ace Hotel for anchor **Rachel Maddow’**s new book,Drift. The book, which covers the politics of the military, and the sacrifice of veterans of the Iraq and Afghan wars, came out just twelve days before Easter, and it’s already number one on the New York Times best-seller list for nonfiction. As Maddow said on her show the evening prior to the swell fete: “This is overwhelming.”

It was a celebratory, almost office party–style bash. There was Tamron Hall, who has her own show, as well as the handsome Thomas Roberts, and Christopher Hayes, a good friend of Maddow who is a fellow MSNBC host and writes for The Nation, is thirtysomething, but appears every bit of fourteen with his glasses. His cocktail attire—a cool blue, striped pullover and crisp jeans—gave him a French matelot look. Phil Griffin, president of MSNBC, introduced Maddow and praised her, telling the audience that the very first night she anchored her own show in 2008, she beat Larry King in the ratings. Maddow, sporting her uniform of a denim shirt, wrapped muffler, and dark sneakers (laced with bright blue laces) stood quietly in the third position of ballet with her hands buried deep in the slashed pockets of her clean, faded jeans.

She’d arrived late to her own party, coming straight from taping her nightly show, and the scene when she walked through the door was magnificent: Sixties furniture had been placed in configurations for groups to gather for conversation, but mostly everyone stood, except Sandra Bernhard, who came in a Rag & Bone jacket, black jeans, and patent boots, looking very Mrs. Emma Peel from The Avengers. Yours truly sat in an armchair in the corner, waiting to catch Maddow’s attention so that she could sign a book for Tom Ford (who really adores her) while senior statesman Dan Rather was overheard telling the guest of honor how impressive it was that her book rose to the top of the NYT list so quickly. Maddow greeted friends and guests as the hors d’oeuvres she had specifically chosen, like beef and Stilton cheese puffs and her favorite drink, a French 75, a cocktail of champagne and gin, were passed around the room. She was thrilled to autograph that copy for Ford, writing only: “Tom Ford, Really, Wow.”

“I wanted to write this book because I had interviewed so many veterans of both wars, and this was a topic that I had—I didn’t go looking for a topic,” said Maddow, who graciously thanked her MSNBC team for their support during the three years it took her to complete the book. “It isn’t about celebrity, it’s about policy.” She quickly added, “I also think that a lefty’s book about the politics of war at the top of the best-seller list says a lot about our country.”

Toward the end of the party—it was nearing nine-thirty—Gail Collins and Bernhard were locked deep in conversation, and I was talking with Meghan McCain, who is frequently a guest on Maddow’s show. She looked great in a black, short, wool jersey dress by Lafayette 148, towering YSL patent stilettos, a Chanel quilted clutch, a black, shaved-fur bolero, and fingernails lacquered in a bright blue green. I was invited to join her for dinner, but I declined, as I had already had my branzino filet and broccoli rabe at Bar Pitti, alone, at six p.m., before the fete began.